Archive for ‘Mario Monicelli’

Los Angeles Italian Film Festival will on the 25th February honor the great Italian Director and Screenwriter Mario Monicelli, who on the 29th of November 2010 leaped from his hospital window in Rome committing suicide at the age of 95. He had been admitted to hospital some days previously and was being treated for Prostrate Cancer.

Monicelli was since the 40s a major influence on the Italian Film Industry , he was dubbed the “father of Italian comedy” for directing films such as Amici Miei (My Dear Friends) and I Soliti Ignoti (Persons Unknown – Big Deal on Madonna Street ) a big void is being left for sure. I am so please to see Los Angeles Italian FIlm Industry honoring this big man with the showing of “Big Deal on Madonna Street” on the 25.02.11 at 10.00 as I fear due to the circumstances of his death, he will now be largely ignored by his Roman Catholic countrymen. Monicelli looked at his compatriots with love, and at Silvio Berlusconi with anger. Lets rejoice in the fact that he did not see the latest antics of Berlusconi dubiously managing to survive a no-confidence vote in parliament and the running of brothels in Milan ( Well, if you put young women in free housing and use them for sex, that constitutes brothel keeping, right ?).

Many quotes have been made since his death all positive , here are some of them for you:

President Giorgio Napolitano said he would be “remembered by millions of Italians for the way he moved them, for how he made them laugh and reflect”.

Director Giovanni Veronese said, “Monicelli was my Fellini”.

Politician, writer and former Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni said that Mario Monicelli was an extraordinary man who carried his 95 years with a strong sense of irony. Mr Veltroni said that the director had become the “grand old man” of Italian cinema against his will.

Actor and director Michele Placido said that we should respect his decision to die.